Media Release: Hardeep Singh Kohli appointed official ambassador for Scotland

CELEBRITY broadcaster, journalist and raconteur, Hardeep Singh Kohli, has been appointed as an official ambassador for Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink, by VisitScotland.

The first in a series of focus years highlighting some of Scotland’s great assets, Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink was launched by Tourism Minister, Jim Mather, in May, with the aim of ensuring that more people, both at home and visiting Scotland, are aware of, and have opportunities to enjoy, Scotland’s premium quality food and drink at its source.

A runner-up on the first series of Celebrity Masterchef, which led to two series for UKTV Food – New British Kitchen and Chefs And The City – Hardeep is a renowned foodie and keen semi-pro cook.

Hardeep said: “I’m absolutely honoured to be appointed as an official ambassador for Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink and fully intend to play an active role in spreading the word about Scotland’s fabulous natural larder nurtured at source and enjoyed the world over.

“Food has played a central role in much of the work I’ve been doing of late – and, in a way, I’ve always been a kind of unofficial ambassador of Scottish food and drink – so it’s great to make it official at last!”

Hardeep’s love of food is expressed in his larger than average belly and the publication in 2008 of his first book, ‘Indian Takeaway’, nominated for an Independent Book Award.

He has written about food for Olive, Observer Food Monthly, The Spectator, The Times, The Sunday Times and various other publications. He has also been appointed as a columnist for Waitrose Food Illustrated. Hardeep was a member of the judging panel for the Organic Food Awards 2009.

After last year’s sell-out Edinburgh Fringe debut in ‘The Nearly Naked Chef’, Hardeep has returned this year with a chat show featuring top festival guests and live music – all topped off with delicious curry cooked on stage. Visit www.hardeeplive.com for guest line-up details and to suggest your favourite curry to be cooked especially for you!

Scottish Year of Food & Drink is being celebrated until May 2011. For more information, please visit www.visitscotland.com.

Hardeep is a regular on BBC 1’s Question Time, and This Week with Andrew Neil and was a former Newsnight Review presenter and contributor.

As a journalist his column in Scotland on Sunday called Hardeep Is Your Love has seen him twice nominated in 2007 and 2008 for Scottish Columnist of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards. He is also contributing editor on the Spectator Magazine, has written for the Independent on Sunday, The Times, Observer Woman and Conde Nast Traveller to name but a few.

Having started his broadcasting career in radio he still holds the wireless very dear, presenting extensively across Radio 4, from primetime slots like Midweek, Saturday Live to The Food Programme. He has made a plethora of documentaries for Radio 4, on subjects as diverse as the Partitioning of India, Great British Rivers to tight rope walking. Hardeep has also made documentaries for Radio 2 and 3, and presenting across Radio 5 live. He was also a Booker Prize judge in 2008.

Hardeep was part of the original team on the highly-successful BBC1 programme, The One Show, reporting the length and breadth of the country on all manner of stories.

For Channel 4 he has written and presented the BAFTA award-winning In Search of the Tartan Turban which led to the critically-acclaimed and award winning Hardeep Does… Also for Channel 4 he wrote and presented the seminal three-part gambling series, 50 says you’ll watch this.

In 2002, he wrote directed and starred in a one-off show called Meet the Magoons, part of Channel 4’s Comedy Lab series. A series was commissioned and was broadcast in 2004. It was nominated for the Golden Rose of Montreux.

Hardeep is in demand as an after-dinner speaker and awards host and has recently branched out into business and motivational speaking. He is about to embark on a new project he has devised to create team-building through cooking.

The Year of food and drink is the first focus year in the run up to homecoming 2014 – the other years are active, creative, natural.